We've Only Just Met
by P.B. Fluff
Summary: Lirael suprises Nick and Nick has something to say about it. Somewhat AU-missing moment set during Abhorsen.


Since I first read it, I really loved the way in which Sabriel and Touchstone came by their first kiss, in the heat of danger and sorrow, rescuing each other from death. I have also, however, liked the Lirael/Nicholas pairing a little bit better ever since reading the rest of the trilogy and The Creature in the Case. Ergo, I give you a missing moment, a sort of AU "what if" if you will, involving Garth Nix's Lirael, Nicholas and a kiss.

P.S. Don't own it.

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"...My mother... my mother went away when I was five so I didn't know my father was the Abhorsen - Oh no!"

"Abhorsen!" Nick croaked and Lirael knew she had to act fast, that mentioning the Abhorsens had been a fatal error.

"Nick, you've got to fight it!" she shouted, grabbing him by his filthy, tattered shirt and shaking him, resisting the urge to slap him back to himself. She could smell the taint of Free Magic corroding the air and the burnt tang of it made Lirael have to fight to keep from vomiting. "Come on! You're Nicholas John Andrew Sayre. You were born at Amber-!"

"Amberne," Nicholas corrected, gripping her other hand which still held his even more tightly. Lirael was certain he'd leave bruises. But she didn't care. The Free Magic smell was fading a little and she could see he was coming back to himself. His eyes focused again. And she returned his grip with a reassuring squeeze.

"See? You remember. You'll fight it. What else? You went to school with Sam. What was your best subject?"

"Science. I was equally good at mathematics but I always liked the sciences better. It was more interesting to me you see. I suppose it sounds silly but I had a sort of romantic vision of the sciences. More opportunity with the sciences."

"What do you mean?"

Nick's coloring changed and for one tense moment Lirael feared he was changing again until she realized he was blushing.

"You'll probably think me a horrid egotist at this, if you didn't before that is, but I felt there was more opportunity for adventure, discovery, and of course, fame and fortune. Sad really, seeing as I already had more of the last two than most people are ever content to get."

Lirael wasn't sure what to say at that. It was obvious he'd been privileged but she didn't sense in him the same level of immaturity as she first had with Sam. Perhaps it was something he'd said, though she couldn't think what. Not much of it was particularly revealing.

Except for the part about his mother and father. "_Father's a bad politician..." Mother goes to parties and drinks too much..."_

"I suppose it's my damn arrogance that got me into this mess. Only an arrogant fool would think he could control something like the hemispheres..." Lirael became alarmed once more, and not without reason. Sure enough, mere mention of the hemispheres had awakened the evil inside him once again.

"Fight it! You can fight it!" she screamed.

"I know but..." his voice grew harsher and his face, the face Lirael was certain would be handsome if it didn't look so ashen and sickly now, WAS handsome despite all its despairing weakness, contorted into a horrible grimace. "...I-"

She finally did slap him. "Fight it!" she screamed again, desperate.

"Help me," he whispered wearily in his own voice. "How can I fight it?"

Against her will, tears welled up in her eyes. He was so good. His heart so good, so willing to help, so eager to try to do the good and honorable thing. It made Lirael nauseous to think such a good and innocent person would be corrupted by such an evil taint.

"Keep to yourself, Nick," she said desperately. "Remember who you are."

He gripped her arms. "Lirael," he whispered again with the hint of badly disguised despair. She could tell that even in his state he was trying to keep from seeming too pathetic. To her, an almost humorous waste of energy. She'd never seen anything so sad in all her life.

She could feel the Free Magic coursing through his veins, threatening to take over once again. Frantic, Lirael flung herself into the last thing she could think to do and kissed him, her lips to his mouth, biting back the nausea that threatened to engulf her from the still lingering smell of Free Magic.

Instead, she tried to concentrate on better things. He was handsome, and she was kissing him. That was a good start. She could feel him coming back to himself, taste the Free Magic dwindling yet again and… was he returning the kiss..? Hurriedly, she let him go, trusting the shock of so sudden and so forward an action would keep him as himself for a few more vital moments. From there... well she wasn't sure what she'd try next. She forced herself not to think about his response. After all, she knew it might very well have been imagined.

They stared at one another, then his face contorted, and for one horrifying moment Lirael feared he was changing anyway and all would be lost. But the contortion she began to see was one of confusion, a face she imagined he'd used as a small child just beginning to understand something so common as the use of a doorknob.

"I say," he said, somewhat indignantly, breaking the silence. "I must admit, I do find you quite lovely, and while that was pleasant, I do find it somewhat inappropriate. After all, we've only just met."

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Review please!


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